Gage County, Nebraska - Chapter 23: Blue Springs, 1918

The historic town of Blue Springs dates its origin from the year 1857, at almost the identical moment that Beatrice was founded. In July of that year James H. Johnson, Jacob Pofl, Martin Elliott and his sons Stephen, William, and Henry Elliott, with their families, settled on the public domain at Blue Springs and its immediate vicinity, and, in conjunction with the government surveyors who were then engaged in surveying the public lands in that vicinity, they projected a townsite company and marked out into town lots three hundred and twenty acres of land, comprising, with other lands, the present townsite of Blue Springs. But there was little inducement at that early day for engaging in such enterprises, and this company did not even go to the trouble of acquiring title to the lands they had selected for a townsite. The project was finally abandoned, and Reuyl Noyes and Joseph Chambers, returning from a gold-mining venture at Pike's Peak, took it up. They were enterprising young men and undertook to develop Blue Springs into an. attractive frontier town. Amongst other things they attempted to divert travel from the Oregon Trail at Ash Point, near Richmond, in Nemaha county, Kansas, to Blue Springs and westward about twelve miles to the Caldwell ranch, on the old trail. It must be remembered that the Oregon Trail was to Nebraska territory in that early day what a trunk line of railway would be now to an undeveloped section of country. The principal crossing of the Big Blue river was at Marysville, in a direction south of west from Ash Point. From Marysville the trail took a northwesterly course across the southern part of the Otoe Indian reservation, to the Rock

Creek stage station; part way, near the head waters of Indian creek, was Caldwell ranch. By diverting the travel by way of Richmond and Blue Springs the distance was considerably less. These enterprising proprietors of Blue Springs and their friends, having first, in 1859, borrowed the necessary money for that purpose from Robert A. Wilson, acquired by purchase the tract of ground where Blue Springs is located, in section 17 of that township, giving him a mortgage on it. They built a double, story-and-a-half, hewed-log ranch house on the northeast corner of block 5 of the original town of Blue Springs, at the intersection of Hazen and Main streets. They also built a toll bridge across the Big Blue river, and drew a furrow from the point of departure on the old trail, past Richmond, to Blue Springs and on to the Caldwell ranch. But Seneca, the rival of Richmond, defeated this project by diverting travel from the old trail to herself. Mrs. Rebecca Woodward, who in the spring of 1859 was living at Richmond, sold her possessions there, and in anticipation of the success of the movement to divert travel to Blue Springs, moved to that place, bought the Noyes & Chambers building and immediately became a factor in the development of the village. There were at that time three other log cabins built under the bluffs along Spring creek. This was really the origin of Blue Springs. Mrs. Woodward and a number of others had bought lots in the town as originally surveyed, but on account of the Wilson mortgage, title could not be made. Chambers and Noyes finally abandoned their townsite interests and Wilson succeeded to their rights. In 1861 in order to quiet the demands of those who had pur- chased lots of Chambers and Noyes, Wilson caused the original townsite of Blue Springs to be surveyed and platted by Solon M. Hazen, and placed the plat thereof on record in the office of the register of deeds on the 7th day of June, 1861, whereupon he deeded to the claimants lots in the townsite as platted and recorded. Several additions have been made to Blue Springs, the principal ones being Hollister's, Blackman's, Casebeer's, and Hill's additions. The city, with its additions, now occupies a considerable portion of sections 17 and 18 of Blue Springs township.

The growth of Blue Springs was slow. In 1863, when this writer, a youth of thirteen summers, attended school there, the families living in the village and its immediate vicinity were those of William B. Tyler, Dr. Levi Anthony, Martha Johnson (widow of James H. Johnson, a first settler at Blue Springs), Robert A. Wilson, Lynus Knight, James Lott, Thomas Armstrong, King Fisher, and Herbert Viney. About 1863 Solon M. Hazen opened a general store at the corner of Scott and Hazen streets, and in 1868 William Tichnor, at that time one of the county commissioners of Gage county, built a dam across the Big Blue river and erected a fine mill, including a saw, lath and shingle mill. This enterprise imparted to Blue Springs the character of a business center, since people were compelled to have their grists ground, their logs sawed, and their laths and shingles riven. Thereafter the village grew apace, and about 1872 there was quite an influx of immigrants from the east to Blue Springs, - the Casebeers, Gambees, Wonders, Harpsters, Shocks, and others, mostly from Pennsylvania and Ohio. The territory tributary to Blue Springs was well populated by 1870, and the village had grown rapidly during the closing years of that decade, the federal census of 1870 showing a population of 354. In 1880 the population had increased to 513; in 1890, according to the census, there were 963 inhabitants ; in 1900 there were 786 and in 1910 the number was 712. While these figures show a decrease in population from 1890 to 1900, and a small decrease between 1900 and 1910, it must be borne in mind that the census of 1890, as far as population is concerned, was utterly unreliable, and there were probably no more inhabitants in the city in 1900 than in 1910; the strong probability is that there was no actual loss in population after the year 1900. Since the last census Blue Springs has grown materially and an enumeration would probably show a population of nearly a thousand souls. Blue Springs always, even in territorial days, maintained a most enviable reputation on account of its attitude, on all moral questions, and the worth of character of its citizenry. Crime is almost unknown in Blue Springs. There has never been a murder committed in that community, and prosecution for even minor offenses is almost unknown. The character of the citizens is well illustrated by the attitude of the community on the question of the licensed saloon, when that- was a disturbing factor in municipal affairs throughout the state. It never looked with favor upon the saloons, although yielding occasionally to' the pressure brought for them, but in 1898 this arch enemy of good morals and virtuous manhood was by the voters of Blue Springs banished forever from the community. This writer testifies with the keenest satisfaction to the high moral tone that has always characterized the beautiful city of Blue Springs.

The first bridge erected across the Big Blue river in Gage county was the Noyes-Chambers toll bridge, in the spring of 1859, which has already been mentioned. As the travel on the proposed cut-ofif from Ash Point to Blue Springs and beyond did not materialize, the proprietors, in the autumn of 1859, sold their bridge to Samuel Shaw, and the spring freshet of 1861 carried it away, - and nearly carried Mr. Shaw away with it. It was not rebuilt, nor was there any effort made to erect a bridge at Blue Springs until about the year 1870, when Gage county placed an iron bridge across the river at the point where the present steel bridge is found. The old bridge was moved to Beatrice and erected across the Big Blue river at the Scott street crossing. The flood of 1903 dropped it into the water

About the year 1880 John E. Smith, Samuel C. Smith and Joel C. Williams established the Bank of Blue Springs- Williams afterward acquired the stock of the Smith brothers and successfully conducted the bank for a number of years, but he was unable to withstand the difficulties of the great panic of

Sr., acquired by purchase the title to the Blue Springs mill and dam. This pioneer milling property was thoroughly overhauled by the new proprietors and, at great expense, one of the best mills in the county was evolved. Its present owners are William C. Black, Sr., and the estate of Cochran S. Black. This valuable property is managed by R. W. Kanagy.

1893-1898, and finally, about 1895, closed the doors of the bank and liquidated its obligations as far as his shrunken assets would permit. About the year 1890 the Blue Springs State Bank was founded by O. N. Wheelock and others, which several years later passed into other hands. The present stockholders of this bank are Wm. C. Black, Jr., and Ralph Clemmons, of Beatrice; and T. J. Patton, O.

mentioned. Blue Springs has two grain elevators, a good lumber and coal yard, and nearly every retail business common to cities of its class in Nebraska is represented.

In 1896 M. A. Farr began the publication of the Blue Springs Weekly Motor, and from that day to this the city has possessed a good newspaper. The Motor was succeeded by the Sentinel, a paper established, owned, and edited by the late James H. Casebeer, and now conducted by his son Clarence Casebeer. It has always been a remarkably clean and reliable newspaper and has rendered invaluable service to its readers as a dissemina-

The first school in Blue Springs was a subscription school (in 1861) taught by Miss Lucy Johnson, a daughter of Rankin Johnson, one of the early settlers of that locality. Following this, Mrs. Maria Sargent, wife of J. T. Sargent, taught a subscription school in her own house, a log cabin, and had twelve pupils. In 1862 Miss Wealthy Tinkham'. afterward Mrs. Joseph Hollingsworth, taught

As early as 1859 the Methodists organized a church in Blue Springs, with John Foster as its pastor. This organization was fostered and sustained by the pioneers to a man. In 1879 the citizens assisted in erecting a stone church building for the Methodists, a movement contemporary with the building of the old stone church in Beatrice. Besides the Methodist church, the Presbyterians, the Evangelical Association, the United Brethren, and the Christian churches are represented.

the first public school in Blue Springs, and in 1863 her sister Margaret, afterward Mrs. Nathan Blakely, taught the second public school, with an enrollment of sixteen pupils. During the Indian troubles on the Little Blue river and farther west, 1864, 1865, 1866, Httle attention seems to have been given to education, but in 1869 a small school-house was erected and thereafter a school was regularly taught in Blue Springs. The district now possesses a fine, two-story, brick school-house, containing eight rooms, and employs eight teachers, with an enrollment of more than two hundred pupils.

Both the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows have very strong organizations in Blue Springs, the latter having a membership of upwards of one hundred and fifty. A number of the beneficiary orders also are represented in Blue Springs.

During the Civil war, in 1863, the village of Blue Springs and its tributary territory contributed a number of volunteers to the Nebraska Second Regiment of Volunters. The regiment was part of General Sully's command, dispatched by the government to put down the Indian uprising in Minnesota. Some of the volunteers from Blue Springs were Francis M. Graham, George Dessert, H. S. Barnum, and Edward Armstrong.

A government postoffice was established in Blue Springs about 1859, with William B. Tyler, postmaster. The mails were at first carried on horseback from Nebraska City and Browhville, and for many years the postoffice at Blue Springs served a large portion of southern Gage county with mail facilities.

Blue Springs is electrically lighted with current from the Holmesville plant. It owns its own waterworks and by an arrangement with Wymore its springs of pure water are utilized for both cities at the expense of Wymore.

The isolation of Blue Springs was broken in 1879 by the construction of the Union Pacific line of railway from Marysville to Beatrice, as well as by the extension of the Burlington line from Beatrice to the main southern line of the company. At one time, in 1880, it seemed as if Blue Springs might become the junction point, but by over-confidence and mismanagement she allowed this splendid opportunity to slip from her grasp. At first the extension of the Beatrice line was more in the nature of a disaster than a benefit. The Burlington road, for reasons of its own, refused to stop its trains or build a depot, or to recognize in any way the existence of Blue Springs, but rushed across the corporation, regardless of its public duty as a common carrier, to Wymore, which with this favoritism was growing by leaps and bounds. But in 1885 F. W. Mattoon, a citizen of Blue Springs, brought in the supreme court of Nebraska a proceeding in mandamus, to compel the road to afford Blue Springs railway facilities. The application was sustained, and thereafter the railroad grudgingly complied with the mandate of the court.

Blue Springs, though missing this great opportunity, has remained beautiful and attractive, as she was in the beginning. No "homier" place exists in all the boundaries of the state.

Mr. Tyler was familiarly and affectionately known as "Pap" Tyler. He was of Holland extraction and in many ways possessed the shrewdness which characterized the Hollander. He was born in York county, Pennsylvania, November 16, 1801, at the very threshhold of the nineteenth century. In early life he married Sarah Wilt, of his native village. In 1842 she passed away, leaving a family of four children. After the death of his wife Mr. Tyler, in 1843, enlisted in the First United States Regiment of Dragoons and he served through the Mexican war. His first term of enlistment expiring in 1848, he reenlisted and remained in the service of the United States continuously until 1854, when he was honorably discharged, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He at once entered the service of the government in a clerical position in the quartermaster's department, where he remained until 1859. He then started to Salt Lake City to take a similar position under the government, but changed his mind and, in March of that year, settled at Blue Springs. He purchased a quarter-section of land a mile or so up the river from the village. In 1860 Mr. Tyler married Rebecca Woodward, who, when this writer with his parents crossed the Big Nemaha at old Richmond, Nemaha county, Nebraska, on their way to Gage county, Nebraska, kept the ranch at Richmond which was intended to be a station on the Blue Springs cut-off from the Oregon Trail, and who shortly afterward sold out at Richmond and bought the Noyes-Chambers ranch house in Blue Springs and came there to live. At the time of this marriage Mrs. Woodward was in possession of considerable means for those days, and she was probably the wealthiest person in Gage county for several years. Several of the first instruments recorded in our county represent business transactions in her name. At the time of this marriage she was about forty years of age and an amiable, accomplished, and very capable woman. She passed away in 1870, mourned by all who knew her..

William B. Tyler was county commissioner of Gage county during the years of 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, and in 1864, with Fordyce Roper and F. H. Dobbs as associate commissioners, adjusted the affairs of old Clay county after its partition between Lancaster and Gage. From 1860 until his death, in 1889, he was a judge at every annual election in the county and also the messenger who carried his father died while yet a young man. In 1856 Mr. Wilson came to Omaha and later he went to Nebraska City, where he met Judge John Fitch Kinney, and, being a practical millwright and miller, he was about to engage with Judge Kinney to come to Beatrice and set up and take charge of the steam saw mill owned by the Beatrice Townsite Company. He was deterred from entering into this arrange-

He was a kindly, genial soul, and to the last moment of his life was one of the most public-spirited citizens of Blue Springs. As a youth the writer spent nearly an entire year under the roof of William and Rebecca Tyler as a member of their household, and he desires here to testify his appreciation of their uniform kindness and goodness of heart.

ment, and probably from becoming a citizen of Beatrice, by the remark of some friend to the effect that the members of the Beatrice Townsite Company were all college-bred men and knew nothing about saw mills. Mr. Wilson and his brother William did, however, about that time accept from the United States gov-< ernment service which took them to the Otoe and Missouri Indian Agency, where they erected the government steam saw and grist mill and ran the same until 1860. In the autumn of that year he returned to Iowa and married Miss Amelia Darner. Prior to his leaving the territory he had loaned Joseph Chambers five hundred dollars with which to purchase the tract of land where Blue Springs now stands, and had taken a mortgage upon the prospective townsite to secure tjiis indebtedness. Learning that Chambers and his partner Noyes had disposed of their interests in Blue Springs and abandoned the projected townsite, Mr. Wilson returned to Neyears ago he retired from his farm and he is spending the remnant of his life in the beautiful little city of which he was the founder nearly three score years ago. He is slowly recovering from the shock of a serious surgical operation performed nearly a year ago, and he and his aged wife are the objects cf the veneration and love of the entire community.

braska territory and settled in Blue Springs in 1861. Shortly after his arrival he procured the services of Solon M. Hazen and surveyed and platted the original town of Blue Springs. From 1865 to 1868 he was employed in the mill of Perry Hutchison, at Marysville, Kansas. During the latter year he was interested with William Tichnor in building the dam and mill at Blue Springs.

Robert A. Wilson is a man of heroic stature, standing considerably over six feet, and is large of frame. Throughout his long career, until recently, he was a man of great physical strength. He is of a genial, kindly, humorous nature, a good friend, an interesting companion, loyal and true-hearted.

Solon M. Hazen was born in Denmark, New York, August 11, 1829. He belonged to that class of patriotic young men who came from the eastern states in the year 1857 as followers of John Brown in his efforts to save Kansas from the curse of human slavery. After spending the winter of 1857-1858 in Brown county, Kansas, he, in 1858, with George W. Stark, another anti-slavery enthusiast, came to the new territory of Nebraska and settled on land in Rockford township, this county. He built a log cabin on his land, broke out several acres of fertile Mud creek bottom, and remained here until after the presidential election of 1860, when he returned to New

York and resumed his occupation as a school teacher. He also purchased a newspaper, the Journal-Republican, at Lowville, New York, which he conducted for three years. Eater he purchased the Watertown Herald, at Watertown. New York, and he continued as its publisher for several years. ' On the 24th day of December, 1863, he married Miss Priscilla Ann Vary, and in 1868 he - returned to Nebraska, which was then a state, and settled permanently in Blue Springs. Shortly after his return he opened a general store at the corner of Hazen and Scott streets, and he continued for many years in business in that location. In 1861 he surveyed for Robert A. Wilson the original townsite of Blue Springs, and later he was elected one of the county commissioners of Gage county, an office which he held for some years. In 1884 he was elected to represent the people of Gage county in the state legislature, where, as a member of several important committees, he rendered distinguished services to his constituents and to the people of the state. He served his community as justice of the peace, postmaster, member of the school board, member of the council and in other capacities.

Mr. Hazen was a tall, distinguished-looking man, slow of speech, deliberate in judgment, and very considerate of the rights and feelings of others. There were no better men than Solon M. Hazen. This historian has the kindest of recollections of this good, benevolent man. When still a mere child and at a time when there were no schools accessible to him the writer got his first lessons in numbers by the flickering light of a chip fire, in the open air, from Solon M. Hazen.

Dr. Levi Anthony was, next to Dr. Herman M. Reynolds, the earliest practising physician of reputation and standing in Gage county. He was born at Washington, Jackson county, Ohio, November 27, 1835, but from October 14-, 1846, to the fall of 1849 he lived in Jackson county, Missouri. He then moved to Mills county, Iowa, and took up the study of medicine under Dr. Barrett, and he entered upon the practice of his profession in Iowa. In 1859 he moved to Peru, Nebraska, and, forming a partnership with Dr. Perry at that western outpost of civilization, he practiced his profession there until 1861. While at Peru he met Robert A. Wilson, of Blue Springs, who pursuaded him to change his location and ofl'ered to deed, and did afterward deed, to him forty acres of land in the vicinity of Blue Springs on the condition of his making such , change. No time was lost by the Doctor, who was an active, decisive man, in reaching his new location. Hiere he soon became widely known as a physician of skill and ability. His practice extended over a large portion of Gage county and several of the surround- ing counties. He made his professional calls mostly on horseback, carrying his medicinechest in large, double, leather saddle-bags, strapped to the back of his saddle. He was a most familiar figure and on account of his title to this land and made it his home for several years. When the village of Wilber was laid out as a town, in 1872, by Charles D. Wilber and Jacob Mooney, Dr. James Paddock, a young physician, came there seek- genial nature was a welcome visitor in the homes of the early settlers. In 1867 he moved to Beatrice and engaged successfully in the practice of his profession there, but in the latter part of 1869 the Doctor located on a homestead three-quarters of a mile south of the present city of Wilber. He acquired ing a location. Finding Dr. Anthony already on the field, he sought and was able to form a copartnership with him, and for many years these two pioneer physicians practiced their profession together at Wilber, Dr. Anthony living upon his homestead until age admonished him that the period for rest had come.

In the autumn of 1864, following the Indian outbreak on the Little Blue river, in August of that year, a company of militia was raised, consisting of about one hundred men and composed exclusively of residents of Gage and Pawnee counties. Dr. Anthony was this marriage twelve children were born, Nancy Elizabeth, Hannah Retta, Mary A., Isaac T., Martha E., Eliza J., Sarah C, Orpha J., Lydia A., John F., George S., and Eeon J. His wife and two of these children died before his own death occurred.

active in this movement and Was elected second lieutenant of the company, which went into service in September, 1864. It was stationed at Buffalo ranch, oh the Little Blue river, at the foot of Nine Mjle Ridge, on the old Oregon Trail, until Feburary, 1865, when it was mustered out of service. The company performed guard duty along the old trail, protecting the overland stage, emigrants and commercial travel each way from its stockade for a distance of forty miles.

Day Saints, at Wilber. Dr. Anthony was below average stature, was endowed with am alert mind, was genial, witty and possessed other qualities which made him a pleasant companion and a welcome visitor everywhere.

Francis M. Graham has been so long a resident of Blue Springs that few are livingnow who remember the time when he was not a citizen of that place. Some time prior to his arrival at Blue Springs, he had made hishome with Rebecca Tyler, at Richmond, Nemaha county, Kansas, and when she soli out there and moved to Blue Springs, in the summer of 1859, he came with her, being then a youth of fifteen summers. They were much attached to each other and the relation of mother and son practically existed between them until her death. Until his marriage, in 1865, her home was his.

Mr. Graham was born November 2, 1844, in Vermillion parish, Louisiana. His foster mother, Rebecca Tyler, was a southern woman. He was the son of Samuel Graham and Martha (Johnson) Graham. When quite small he was taken to Missouri to live, then to Kansas and then to Blue Springs, Nebraska. In 1865 he married Retta Anthony, the second daughter of Dr. Levi Anthony, and these worthy people have ever since made Blue Springs their home. Both are highly respected and useful members of society. They have reared a large and interesting family and are spending their declining years with their many friends, amid the surroundings of their early days. With Robert A. Wilson and perhaps one or two members of the James H. Johnson family, they are all that is left of that heroic- company that created Blue Springs from a prairie waste.